Arrowhead’s Newly Introduced Wifi Infuriates Students and Parents

Arrowhead High School has recently decided to start using a program called Securly, which is a web filter in action when logged into wifi at Arrowhead High School. The program is planned to be put in use second semester which is January 29th, if students do not download this to their computer they will not have access to the internet while at school. Securly blocks many websites and obligates students from searching the stuff they desire. Arrowhead already has a wifi monitor that blocks out certain things at school, but not the new monitor program will be blocking websites at home as well.

Junior Cari Nelson says, “The installation of this program caused it to download other things onto my computer, completely restart it, and reset it. I lost everything on my one week old computer, and it caused viruses and so many other problems.”

Junior Owen Harvey created a petition for the community to sign, disagreeing to the new wifi, and to get the school to stop it.

Harvey says, “Within two days over 1,000 people signed the petition…I think it’s a violation of our right and shouldn’t have access to every single file on our personal computer whether you are at school or at home.”

Junior Anna Elario says, “I think this is over the edge for Arrowhead. This is so extreme and no other school has done something this strict. This violates the Fourth Amendment and my parents agree with me as well. If they have a problem with me not doing work in class or at home then they can monitor what I do, it shouldn’t concern the school.”

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

According to the Securly website, “Parents feel confident that their students are protected and that the devices are allowing them to be connected and successful in their studies… Schools maintain safer 1:1 environments through web filters, and cyberbullying/self-harm detection across social media. Securly makes CIPA compliance a breeze.”

Nelson says, “I think it would be good for detecting cyberbullying and cases like that but there are other ways of figuring that stuff out besides snooping into our own personal information. I don’t want the school able to see everything I do at home. At school is understanding but this is my personal computer that I bought and Arrowhead shouldn’t be able to see what I do on it when i’m at home and all of my messages as well.”

Elario says, “I got no papers explaining what I was downloading and also there was no parental consent which is illegal for minors.”